How Stereotypical Interpretations Influence Media Contexts - Assignment Example

Insert of Museum Exhibit Design Part one: Main Exhibit Theme: Reflecting on the Significance of Fayum Mummies to the Egyptian culture Introduction During the period between the first and the third centuries, the Egyptians had developed the art of making paintings of their loved ones on pieces of materials such as linen, wood or on stone surfaces. These paintings were then embedded on their mummified bodies bearing certain aspects of cultural symbolism. The Fayum mummy portraits have for a long time attracted intense historical interests owing to their amazing ability to connect the society with the realities of life and culture (Doxiadis). Since the beginning of humanity, the Egyptians have had a unique way of remembering their departed family members in a way that has stunned the interests of the whole world. The appearance of the portraits however has been influenced by other cultural influences from various societies that conquered and influenced the Egyptian culture. Media analysts, historians and anthropologists have continuously expressed great interests in looking into the cultural representation of the Egyptian Fayun mummies. This paper describes an exhibition about the significance of the Egyptian Fayun mummies in representing the Egyptian culture from antiquity through to the contemporary periods. The Fayum Portraits The art of preserving memories of the deceased is a common tradition in most societies across the world. The Egyptians are not an exception to this. In the Egyptian context, the mediums were used in the process of painting the portraits. Dunand and Roger note that two of the most common mediums that were used to carry out this activity were encausta and tempara. The encausta originated from the Greek gods that were made out of beeswax and coloured powdered pigments all mixed together. The tempara, on the other hand, is a medium that had a different material composition from that of the encausta. The portraits were made out of powder pigments that were mixed with egg yolk, egg whites, and in some cases, animal glues were used to make the tempara portrait. This made the tempara portrait less durable compared to the encausta portrait. These categories of portraits had their cultural significance depending on the material composition of each portrait. As opposed to the encausta portrait, the materials used in making the tempara portrait are less durable hence less adored and highly preserved to prevent deformities influenced by the environmental factors. Based on the findings of Dunand and Roger the Egyptian church had an outstanding contribution of the world Christianity systems especially during the famous monastic movements. The monastic lifestyle was idolized among the Egyptian believers to symbolize the thought of the portrait carrying Jesus Christ’s teachings. Even though Christian doctrines were not present in the paintings, the assumptions were to represent the teachings of Jesus Christ. The encryptions of these teachings on various materials using different material representations formed the foundations upon which the Fayun mummies were built. Besides, representing the famous Egyptian ideologies and traditional teachings, the portraits also helped in preserving the Egyptian culture through worship and religion (Hamill). Investigations into the symbolic representation of the Fayun mummies indicate that the portraits had far deeper representation of the society’s cultural mannerisms as opposed to their Christian adoration. The changes in the phases of the portraits depending on the societal changes represented the cultural contexts upon which the paintings were informed. The paintings, as Dunand and Roger note are a reflection of the changing tides of culture and mannerisms of the people. These were mainly representations of the Egyptians’ unique religious practices and cultural interests. Part two: Course Content Topic Areas Photography Representation versus Reality Photography is the most famous medium through which the media practitioners represent reality out of their imaginations. The images embedded on simple pieces of papers displayed in different corners of the world are pictorial representations of reality on the ground. It is cute and beautiful to be able to reflect the society on a simple piece of paper whereby the people can see their societies. The construction of reality through painting and photography has come a long way to developing to its recent status. Before the invention of computers and other imagery devices, man represented what took place in his mind through drawings. It was very difficult to know exactly what one meant in any drawings leading to different interpretations by different people about the same drawings (Doxiadis, 1995). Following the advent of photography, media representations of reality in the society has been significantly improved as the nature can be captured in its immediate context with little or not distortion at all. The Egyptian Fayun mummies are good and practical examples of the ability of man to use media tools to represent the reality of the society. Man is a creative being and spends most of the time trying to portray his mind and thoughts in a manner that can be best understood by the society. Paintings have for a long time been used to accomplish this need. Depending on the material composition, physical quality, texture and colour representations, paintings such as the Egyptian Fayun Mummies bore different but significant exhibition of the true picture of the society. The art of painting and photography developed stemming from the theory of constructivism appearing in the ontological theories. According to this theory, constructivism is a reflection of the unconscious state of the mind. This was a non- arbitrary construction of reality. Intentional or unintentional, the images portrayed on various portraits are considered arbitrary constructions of reality (Hamill). The interpretation of these pieces of art is, however, open to varied arrays of interrelations to different aspects of life. This open-endedness in the interpretation of various media works has led to distortions in interpreting reality in various contexts. Media Representations and Stereotypes Media interpretations are prone to biases related to personal and societal prejudices. Every piece of art created by any artist is a representation of what is taking place in the society as well as a reflection of the status of their minds. Stereotypical analysis is present a lot of distortions to the meanings and contexts represented by the portraits. Various factors have been attributed to bear significant contribution to the development of reality in various contexts. Researches into the matter reveal the contribution of various aspects on the society related to their cultural orientations and historical developments over time. Personal or societal prejudices are common occurrences among various persons across the globe. Dunand and Roger for instance mention that stereotypical interpretations of reality are connected to certain aspects of the society and technological impressions. Culture comes out loudly as a key factor that has resulted into wide distortion of the world reality. Differences in cultural traits, beliefs and alienations are key to influencing the aspects of various media concepts. People from different cultural groups tend to bear different connotations to different situations and contexts. Man’s perception is determined by what he comes into contact with on a regular basis. In this respect, the societal factors play a great role in influencing peoples interpretations of the images represented under various circumstances. Stereotypical interpretations have been presented regarding the symbolisms behind the creation of the Egyptian Fayun Mummies. The Jewish interpretation of the Egyptian context is based on the relationship with idolatry. Most Christians today have associated the Egyptian mummies with the representation of their gods worshiped in classical antiquity. In this context, the religious differences between the Jews and the Egyptians have formed the rift in the interpretation systems of the various contexts represented in various Egyptian drawings and images. Besides, Dunand and Roger note that environmental biases are as well as another source of biases that are common among many people. Artists, as has been mentioned earlier in this paper tend to inscribe. These conditions differ from region to region and tend to influence the perceptions of the people that consume these pieces of art. According to the observations of Doxiadis the correct method of consuming artistic works is first to eliminate the various biases in the minds of the consumers. Cultural biases can be done away with by detaching oneself from their cultural contexts and fixing themselves into the present cultures. Conclusion In conclusion, the media are a very integral component of the society. Media representations have increased in use and applications across the globe. Media are a reflection of what is going on in the society. Developments in technological applications have significantly contributed to developments in the society by opening up the various sectors of the society. Various images have been used to represent various aspects of the society. The Egyptian Fayun mummies are among the portraits that have been used to represent the reality of the society at various levels. Stereotypical interpretations have however influenced interpretation and analysis of various media contexts. Works Cited Doxiadis, Euphrosyne. The Mysterious Fayum Portraits, Faces from Ancient Egypt. London: Harry N. Abrams, Inc, 1995. Dunand, Francoise, and Lichtenberg, Roger. Mummies and Death in Egypt. New York: Cornell University Press, 2006. Hamill, Pete. News is a Verb: Journalism at the End of the Twentieth Century Library of Contemporary Thought. New York: Ballantine, 1998. Read More